schedules, routines, rhythms
ah, the perfect schedule! it’s the Holy Grail of Homeschooling. there’s got to be a way to teach, clothe, feed, and bathe all these children that still leaves time enough for me to drink a cup of tea before it gets cold. i wonder if we ever stop seeking for the way to bring order to our days when our time is in such demand?
a few days ago, Mystie at Simply Convivial posted a list of five things that she wants to touch each day in her homeschooling to feel like she’s accomplishing what she set out to do. this is an excellent practice. i’ve got a nursing toddler. on nights when he’s up a lot, i don’t greet the morning the same way i do when he sleeps better. i want my schedule to reflect that. i need a list that gives us a little grace.
what is it in your life? do you have a new baby or a sick child? then the schedule should reflect that. it’s crazy-making to continue on as if there’s been no change. have you considered how temperament might be reflected in your rhythm? are you an introvert that needs some quiet? make space for that on the schedule. do you have a child who is more intense? make sure that there’s time to move that body a few times a day. (Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka is an excellent resource for thinking through these things.) even the seasons will have an effect. maybe the February blahs would be easier to handle if we planned for them.
Julie Bogart says that we all have a fantasy homeschool that lives in our heads. we often make our schedules for that homeschool instead of the living, breathing one that inhabits our house. giving some thought to how the hard days play out can help make sure we don’t only have hard days.